That’s the advice Dan Reeves would offer to his friend Bill Parcells, who, after retiring as head coach of the Jets, finds himself at the center of a firestorm that may indeed put him back into the job he swore he’d left behind.

With Bill Belichick’s sudden and bizarre resignation Tuesday from the head-coaching position that he inherited, Parcells will no doubt be lured back in, once the Jets’ ownership situation is finalized. For him to add order to what at present is a chaotic mess, Parcells will have to be compensated, royally, with what likely will be the richest front-office contract in NFL history.

Be careful, warns Reeves, who knows something about the rigors of head coaching and how the competitive juices dry up.

“It’s not the money, in my opinion,” Reeves said yesterday from Suwanee, Ga. “You can fool a lot of people, but you can’t fool yourself. You’ve got to be honest with yourself. He’s got to know if this is still in his heart, if this is what he wants to do.”

Reeves, coming off a disappointing 5-11 season as coach of the Falcons one year after assembling a Super Bowl team, considers Parcells a friend, someone he often bounces ideas and thoughts off, and vice versa.

Reeves spoke with Parcells many times this past season, one long-time NFL coach commiserating with the other, both going through unexpectedly bad times with their teams.

“We kind of consoled each other,” Reeves said.

Their discussions made it clear to Reeves that Parcells was serious about leaving, which is why Reeves was not surprised by what took place on Monday. Their most recent conversation came that day, when Reeves called Parcells after hearing that Parcells had resigned. Reeves left a message and Parcells returned the call.

“I told him the league was losing a heck of a coach,” Reeves said. “Bill’s a private person. He didn’t discuss his feelings.”

Reeves, who turns 56 on Jan. 19, is slightly younger than Parcells, 58, but the two have been at it a long time, both experiencing heart-related health problems, both taking time off between jobs to cleanse their bodies and minds.

Reeves understands a huge payday could entice a coach to make a return, but cautions the coach had better be able to commit to the job, heart and soul.

“The money might relieve some of the parts of being away from your family and so forth, maybe make it a little easier in terms of security,” Reeves said. “That would be part of the things that go through your mind. It would have to be some kind of offer you can’t refuse, if you’re at the end of your rope.”

During the season, Reeves got the idea that Parcells was contemplating retirement. “But they finished real strong, and I thought that might rejuvenate him,” Reeves said.

As for a Parcells return, Reeves added, “I really don’t know. Bill is the kind of guy who might feel obligated, he signed a contract with the Jets, in some way he may feel responsible for this. He has that kind of integrity.”